1 Is it actually time to leave?

Let's be fair: Aternos is a brilliant free service. If you and a few friends play a couple evenings a week, it's hard to beat free. You've usually outgrown it when one of these starts to sting:

The Aternos limitWhat a real host does instead
Server sleeps when everyone leaves, and there's a queue to start it back upRuns 24/7 — your world is always online, farms keep ticking, no waiting room
Shared, throttled performance — lag with mods or more than a handful of playersDedicated RAM and a fast CPU you actually control
Restrictions on some plugins/mods and settingsFull file access — any plugin, any config, any version
No custom domain, address can changeA stable IP (and you can point a domain at it)

If none of those bother you, honestly — stay on Aternos. If two or more do, keep reading.

2 Back up your world first

Nothing here touches your Aternos server until you choose to, but always grab a backup before a move.

  1. Log into Aternos and open your server.
  2. Go to Files in the left menu.
  3. Find your world folder — it matches the level-name in server.properties (default world). A modded/Bukkit server may also have world_nether and world_the_end.
  4. Download the world folder(s). Aternos also has a Backups feature — creating a fresh backup and downloading it grabs everything at once.
  5. While you're there, note your plugin/mod list and download any custom configs you care about.
Tip: grab your server.properties too — it has your gamemode, difficulty, view-distance and whitelist settings. You can also rebuild it cleanly later with our server.properties generator.

3 Move it to the new host

Every decent host gives you a control panel with a file manager and SFTP. The steps are the same anywhere:

  1. Create the server on your new host and pick the same software/version you were running (Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, etc.). Matching the version avoids world-format surprises.
  2. Stop the server if it auto-started, so you're not overwriting live files.
  3. Upload your world folder(s) into the server root (replace the default world). For big worlds, SFTP (FileZilla/WinSCP) is faster than the web uploader — see our SFTP guide.
  4. Re-add your plugins/mods to the plugins or mods folder and copy over their config files.
  5. Set level-name in server.properties to match your uploaded world folder, and copy over your other settings.
  6. Start it up and check the console for errors. Fix any missing-dependency or version warnings.
Modpacks & mods: match the exact pack version and mod loader. A world saved on one modpack version can corrupt if you load it on a different one. Copy the whole pack, not just the world.

4 Point your players to the new address

Your new host gives you an IP (and usually a port). Share that as the new server address. If you want a clean play.yourname.com instead of an IP, add an SRV record at your domain registrar pointing to the host — most panels show you the exact values. Then tell your players to update the server in their list.

5 What to actually look for in a host

Hosts love to advertise huge RAM numbers. For Minecraft, that's the wrong thing to chase. Here's what matters, in order:

  • Single-thread CPU speed. Minecraft runs its main loop on one thread, so per-core clock speed decides your TPS far more than core count or RAM. Ask what CPU they run.
  • NVMe storage. Fast disk = fast chunk loading and saves.
  • Real 24/7 uptime + DDoS protection. The whole reason you're leaving Aternos.
  • Full file access & a real panel. You should be able to SFTP in and install anything.
  • Honest pricing & support. No fake hardware claims, no "unlimited" nonsense, and a human when something breaks.
  • Right-sized RAM. 4–8 GB suits most plugin servers; modpacks 8–12 GB. Don't overpay for RAM you won't use — it won't raise your TPS.

Once you're moved, it's worth a quick tune-up — see our Minecraft optimization guide and the Optimization Wizard to get the most out of your new hardware.

Ready for a server that never sleeps?

Solace runs Minecraft on high-clock CPUs (great single-thread = high TPS) with NVMe storage, DDoS protection and full file access. Paper preinstalled, one-click version switching, live in 60 seconds — from $4/mo.

View Minecraft hosting

6 Quick recap

  1. Decide if you've really outgrown free hosting (24/7? performance? plugins?).
  2. Download your world (and configs) from Aternos Files/Backups.
  3. Create the server on the new host, matching software + version.
  4. Upload the world, re-add plugins/mods, fix level-name, start up.
  5. Share the new address (or set up an SRV record for a domain).
  6. Pick a host on CPU clock speed and uptime — not RAM marketing.

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